On January 26th, 2007, I got email from CIS, my I-485 was approved. After 10 days, the card was mailed to my home. Here is some information of my green card path:
1. Labor certificate: EB2, filed on 02/2002; approved on 12/2004;
2. I-140 and I-485:
a. Both filed on 02/2005, at VSC;
b. 04/2005, 1st finger print, code 3;
c. 04/205, I-140 approved;
d. 05/2006, asked for referral and was told in name check;
e. 11/2006, asked for 2nd referral and was told by CIS to put notice in record to remind the supervisor in VSC;
f. 12/2006, 2nd finger print, code 1;
g. 01/10/2006, called CIS and was told background investigation returned, and decision would be made in anytime;
h. 01/26/2007, notice for I-485 approved;
i. 02/06/2007, card received.
It took me 5 years to get green card starting from labor certificate, and the day when the card was received, I was in China for a business travel. Interestingly, I still got my h-1b visa on 01/31/2007 in Beijing, and entered US with h-1b on 02/09/2007, which would be expired on 03/01/2007, the end of my 6th year h-1b. And I knew the card was waiting for me in my home.
I did not do many things to speed up, if possible, the name check, except asked for 2 referrals by called the CIS. First time on May 2006, a mail from VSC told me I was in name check. I called CIS again on November 2006 when I was in a business trip to China. It was pretty easy to get through in China and had been connect to a rep, seemed in back office. It’s a pretty interesting 30-minute conversation, he complained the lousy process of immigration, surprised the long waiting of my application, claimed new boss coming into the town (Democratic won the mid-term election in Congress a week before), and told me he was going to send a notice of my case to the supervisor in VSC. It might work. I got notice of 2nd fingerprint a month later, about 12/26/2006, and when I made 3rd call to CIS on 01/10/2007, I was told my name check was cleared on 12/29/2006. This time the call was also connected to someone in back office, and she told me the decision would be made anytime soon. She was right.
I did my birth notary when I traveled to China in early 2005. It was a lousy experience. I went to Ren Cai to get verification of Dang An, paid the penalty fee before everything, who knows I still kept the Ren Cai ID; then went to notary office with Hu Ko, resident ID, and of course verification from Ren Cai, to got the notary done. Ironically, CIS never asked for it (I did birth notary after file of I-485 for possible RFE). I just presented a copy and translation of Hu Ko, and it seems ok.
I may have more to share about my h-1b experience. As many people here, I came to US with f-1 in 2000, and transferred to h-1b a year later after worked for my current employer. Starting from 2004, I had many business travels to China, 8 times total last year. Every time, I got a 2-entry h-1b visa, which could be used 2 times in 3 months. One time last year, the US customs officer asked me why I had so many visas in the passport and not get a one-year multi-entry visa, I told him I’d like to, but US embassy could not issue that type of visa, unless China offer the same to US citizen. Last March, when I went to US embassy in Beijing to apply the visa, the VO routinely chat a while and was going to issue the visa. He stopped and looked at the computer. He told me there was something strange in the system. I said it might because I applied for AP and I-485, and explained to him what is AP and I-485. He told me it helps a lot, and I got my visa soon.
There are two ways you can get h-1b visa, US embassy or CITIC (same type visa within a year, plus private passport), and you can’t get the visa in same day anymore. In US embassy, you send your application, do finger print, interview, and wait for 3 days to get visa in place like international post office if approved; In case of CITIC, you send you application to CITIC, do finger print after 2nd business day in US embassy, and wait for another 1 or 2 business day, get your visa from CITIC. Documents: 156, 157, I-797, passport, and one 2”*2” photo. Keep your resident ID if possible; it’s easy to travel when your passport is going through the visa application. Starting from 2006, you may need up to 3 times finger print leave, and back to states. One at leave, one may at embassy (or may not, if you still have visa not expired), and one in enter. Last year I did more than 20 times finger print, including 2nd one in CIS local office.
On early December 2006, I applied for h-1b extension for additional 3 years, and traveled to China on January 2007. I knew my I-485 might be approved soon, as told by CIS. And I still applied for h-1b visa through CITIC. On early February when I was in Shanghai, CITIC called me my h-1b visa was approved on 01/31. I laughed, I already got notice from CIS my I-485 was approved and the card was on the way to my home. Again, I used h-1b to enter US on 02/09, the last time. Unfortunately, I had to ask my lawyer to withdraw my h-1b extension according to company policy; otherwise, I would like to see whether I can get my h-1b extension, approved. Well, I can travel with my green card next month and my h-1b journey on the road ended, finally.